Top 15 California destinations

CaptionTop places to see in California

Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times

These are 15 places we think you must visit to grasp the wonder of this state, including Joshua Tree National Park, shown here. This is not California for beginners -- not Disneyland, not Hearst Castle, not the San Diego Zoo, not even Sutter's Mill. -- Christopher Reynolds

These are 15 places we think you must visit to grasp the wonder of this state, including Joshua Tree National Park, shown here. This is not California for beginners -- not Disneyland, not Hearst Castle, not the San Diego Zoo, not even Sutter's Mill. -- Christopher Reynolds (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

This is more than a tavern. Born as a stagecoach stop in the 1880s, the Cold Spring sits in the mountains 10 miles outside Santa Barbara on California 154. Owned by the Ovington family since 1941, the property includes an upscale restaurant and a rustic bar. --Christopher Reynolds

This is more than a tavern. Born as a stagecoach stop in the 1880s, the Cold Spring sits in the mountains 10 miles outside Santa Barbara on California 154. Owned by the Ovington family since 1941, the property includes an upscale restaurant and a rustic bar. --Christopher Reynolds (Richard Derk / Los Angeles Times)

CaptionCoronado Beach with Grunion running, Coronado, San Diego County

Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

Grunion runs are a great tradition, made greater by the many nonnatives who suspect the whole thing is a con. To set them straight, head for Coronado Beach, which runs along the near-island's Ocean Avenue. --Christopher Reynolds

Grunion runs are a great tradition, made greater by the many nonnatives who suspect the whole thing is a con. To set them straight, head for Coronado Beach, which runs along the near-island's Ocean Avenue. --Christopher Reynolds (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

This par-72 seaside course, which charges less than a third of what Pebble Beach does, is flanked by mountains and rife with views of the Pacific. Beneath its beauty lies a challenging 7,000-yard tract that has played host to PGA and LPGA events. --Tim Hubbard

This par-72 seaside course, which charges less than a third of what Pebble Beach does, is flanked by mountains and rife with views of the Pacific. Beneath its beauty lies a challenging 7,000-yard tract that has played host to PGA and LPGA events. --Tim Hubbard (Aidan Bradley)